Polyamide Nanofiber-Based Air Filters for Transparent Face Masks

Avossa, Joshua; Batt, Till; Pelet, Thierry; Sidjanski, Sacha P.; Schönenberger, Klaus; Rossi, René M.

doi:10.1021/acsanm.1c02843

Cited by 20 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…combination of electrospinning with traditional chemical and physical methods (Du et al, 2022). These developments have greatly promoted the applications of electrospun nanofibers in a wide variety of fields such as medicine (Wu et al, 2017), filtration (Avossa et al, 2021), textile (Gorji et al, 2012), battery (Zhang et al, 2016) and fuel cell (Yusoff and Shaari, 2021) manufacturing, and optical sensor fabrication (Wang et al, 2002). However, very limited attention has been paid to a key issue for application, this is, anti-adhesion of electrospun nanofibers on the subject's surfaces, which is also useful for developing a fine fibrous collector.…”

Section: Results and Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biomimetic, antiadhesive surface structure inspired by the calamistra setae of cribellate spiders for electrospun nanofiber handling

Lifka

Stecher²,

Meyer³

et al. 2023

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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IntroductionDue to their excellent surface-to-volume ratio, nanofibers (i.e., fibers with a diameter of approximately 10 to 800 nm) are of increasing interest to engineers and scientists in a broad spectrum of applications. However, due to van der Waals forces, these nanofibers tend to adhere strongly to any surface, which makes further processing very challenging. In nature, we find animals that can easily handle nanofibers: Cribellate spiders use a comb-like structure, the so-called calamistrum, to produce, handle, and process nanofibers. Due to a fingerprint-like surface nanostructure, nanofibers do not adhere to the calamistrum. The principle interaction between this fingerprint-like surface nanostructure and single nanofibers has recently been described in a publication. The fingerprint-like surface structure was replicated on a technical metal surface using laser-induced periodic surface structures, which resulted in material properties resembling those of the natural model.MethodsWe went a step further and took a closer look on an additional structural feature of the calamistrum much larger than the fingerprint-like surface structure. A theoretical approach to describing the influence of a fiber preload, which may become a dominant effect if the fiber dimensions are small compared to the surface structure dimensions, on the adhesion of the fiber to these large surface structures was derived. Our theory was verified experimentally for artificial electrospun polyamide 6 nanofibers on surface-structured samples made of titanium alloy.Results and ConclusionA dramatic reduction in adhesion compared to unstructured, flat surfaces was proven. Therefore, such a surface structure can be used for tools or parts of tools during nanofiber production (e.g., as part of the electrospinning process) to reduce the adhesion of the nonwoven fabric and thus facilitate the handling and processing of the nanofibers during production.

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Section: Results and Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biomimetic, antiadhesive surface structure inspired by the calamistra setae of cribellate spiders for electrospun nanofiber handling

Lifka

Stecher²,

Meyer³

et al. 2023

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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“…3(d). This can be an added advantage in developing transparent masks, benefiting deaf-mute people who rely on facial expressions for communication (Avossa et al, 2021). Thickness of the mats also decides the air flow rate across mats and is strongly dependent on substrate concentration as well as the oxygen diffusion.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Equipment-Free Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Fabrication from Bacterial Cellulose-Derived Biomaterials via Waste-to-Wealth Conversion

Veerubhotla

Bandopadhyay

Chakraborty

2022

Preprint

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The recent COVID-19 crisis necessitated the universal use of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) kits, generating tons of plastic wastes that inevitably lead to environmental damage. Circumventing the challenges stemming from such undesirable non-degradability on disposal, here we present an eco-friendly, robust, yet inexpensive and equipment-free method of growing biodegradable PPE fabrics by the fermentation of locally-sourced organic feed stocks in a rural livelihood. Using a pre-acclimatized symbiotic culture, we report the production of a high yield (up to 3.2 g fabric/g substrate) of bacterial cellulose, a biopolymer matrix, obtained by bacterial weaving. This membrane has an intricate, self-assembled, nano-porous 3D architecture formed by randomly oriented cellulose fibres. Scanning electron microscopy reveals that the pore size of the membrane turns out to be in the tune of 140 nanometers on the average, indicating that it can filter out viruses effectively. In-vitro results demonstrate assured breathability through the membrane for a filter thickness of approximately 5 microns. When subjected to soil degradation, the fabrics are seen to disintegrate rapidly and fully decompose within 15 days. With a favourable cost proposition of less than 1 US$ per meter square of the developed fabric unit, our approach stands out in providing a unique sustainable, and production-ready alternative to synthetic PPE fabrics, solving community healthcare and environmental crisis, and opening up new avenues sustainable under-served livelihood at the same time.

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“…A quality factor and other models based on structural parameters of woven textiles were developed, which indicated that nanofibers in a less densely packed formation achieve an optimal compromise of both values, as opposed to the macro-fibrous structure of typical woven textiles [ 25 , 26 ] ( Figure 1 B). Certainly accelerated by the pandemic, electrospinning and similar methods were identified as promising techniques to produce nanofibrous filter materials, which not only satisfy the filtration efficiency and permeability criteria [ 20 , 27 , 28 , 29 ] but also offer other benefits, such as transparency [ 30 ], reuse after washing or disinfection [ 31 , 32 ], and antimicrobial or antiviral functionalization [ 33 , 34 , 35 ]. Eventually, during 2021 and convinced by the research and increasing availability [ 20 ], a growing number of manufacturers successfully integrated not just melt-blown but also highly efficient nanofibrous non-woven fabrics as filter layers in their community mask compositions ( Figure 1 C,D) [ 20 , 36 ].…”

Section: Medical Textiles In Pandemic Control and Preventionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advanced and Smart Textiles during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: Issues, Challenges, and Innovations

Ivanoska-Dacikj

Oguz²,

Hossain

et al. 2023

Healthcare

Self Cite

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The COVID-19 pandemic has hugely affected the textile and apparel industry. Besides the negative impact due to supply chain disruptions, drop in demand, liquidity problems, and overstocking, this pandemic was found to be a window of opportunity since it accelerated the ongoing digitalization trends and the use of functional materials in the textile industry. This review paper covers the development of smart and advanced textiles that emerged as a response to the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2. We extensively cover the advancements in developing smart textiles that enable monitoring and sensing through electrospun nanofibers and nanogenerators. Additionally, we focus on improving medical textiles mainly through enhanced antiviral capabilities, which play a crucial role in pandemic prevention, protection, and control. We summarize the challenges that arise from personal protective equipment (PPE) disposal and finally give an overview of new smart textile-based products that emerged in the markets related to the control and spread reduction of SARS-CoV-2.

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Polyamide Nanofiber-Based Air Filters for Transparent Face Masks

Cited by 20 publications

References 20 publications

Biomimetic, antiadhesive surface structure inspired by the calamistra setae of cribellate spiders for electrospun nanofiber handling

Biomimetic, antiadhesive surface structure inspired by the calamistra setae of cribellate spiders for electrospun nanofiber handling

Equipment-Free Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Fabrication from Bacterial Cellulose-Derived Biomaterials via Waste-to-Wealth Conversion

Advanced and Smart Textiles during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: Issues, Challenges, and Innovations

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